Islamabad — A strange design flaw in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) mobile app has raised eyebrows after users discovered that the platform seemingly allows deceased individuals to cancel their own CNICs — complete with a mandatory facial recognition “liveness check.”
The app’s feature, titled “Cancel Identity Due to Death,” offers two choices: one for relatives of the deceased and another labeled “Myself.” If a user selects “Myself,” the application bizarrely proceeds with a liveness check, asking the supposed deceased person to confirm their identity via facial recognition.
The unusual setup has sparked confusion, since a dead person would neither access the app nor complete a real-time biometric verification.
When contacted, a NADRA spokesperson clarified that the service is intended only for relatives to cancel the identity cards of deceased persons. However, the official did not explain why the app includes a “Myself” option for the deceased or why a liveness check is tied to that process.
This confusing feature adds to a growing list of design flaws and oversight issues that plague government-run mobile applications in Pakistan. Users are now questioning whether this is a technical glitch, poor labeling, or a fundamental design flaw that has gone unaddressed.
Until NADRA issues a formal fix or explanation, the contradiction remains unresolved, leaving many Pakistanis amused — and concerned — about the quality of critical digital services.
